Your say / Domestic Abuse
‘Domestic abuse services save lives: we should be increasing funding, not cutting it’
**Content warning: this article talks about domestic abuse **
As local councillors, we see first-hand the devastating impact domestic abuse has on individuals and families in our communities.
It is a grim reality that domestic abuse affects people from all walks of life, with survivors often left feeling isolated, trapped and powerless.
is needed now More than ever
This issue means a lot to us and we recently wrote about it for Bristol24/7 where we stressed the importance of training to recognise the signs of domestic abuse and funding for specialist organisations.
If the council is serious about tackling domestic abuse, it needs to fund both the lifesaving services that provide a safety net for those impacted by domestic abuse as well as projects to prevent domestic abuse occurring in the first place.
Specialist domestic abuse services offer practical and emotional support when people need it most. We know that specialist domestic abuse services in Bristol save and rebuild lives.
Projects to prevent domestic abuse are also under resourced. Domestic abuse is a public health issue and, as with all public health issues, requires a prevention-based approach. We can’t prevent unless we invest.
One in four women will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime – photo: Rob Browne
The first motion that Bristol Labour brought to full council following the 2024 local elections was a motion to tackle violence against women and girls, which received unanimous support.
This included a commitment for policy committee chairs to focus on and invest in violence against women and girls prevention work; and also called on the finance sub-committee to protect council funding for specialist services.
We were really disappointed to learn that the Green-led administration is proposing to cut £140,000 from future spending on domestic abuse services. This clearly backtracks on the commitment made by full council last summer.
Our message to the Green-led administration is a simple one: this is your chance to act on the commitment to tackle violence against women and girls that you made last summer.
We understand that the proposed cut stems from a pilot project which didn’t get off the ground. The pilot was focused on children and families affected by domestic abuse.
While the project didn’t materialise, the need remains higher than ever, and the council should be investing in projects to support children and families impacted by domestic abuse.
Investing in domestic abuse services would help them to expand their capacity, improve outreach efforts, and address the multiple support needs of survivors and their families from all backgrounds.
It would send a clear message that we, as a city, value safety, equality, and justice for everyone.
We cannot accept a situation where survivors are turned away from services or placed on waiting lists because there isn’t enough funding to accommodate them.
We cannot stand by while children – who should be growing up in safe and nurturing environments – are exposed to violence and having to live with the long-term consequences of traumatic experiences at such a young age.
If the moral argument isn’t enough, there is a financial one too. Cuts to domestic abuse services are a false economy. The financial cost of domestic abuse in the UK is estimated at £66bn a year, encompassing healthcare, policing, criminal justice and lost productivity.
Every pound invested in early intervention and support services saves multiple pounds in long-term costs. Now is not the time to be scaling back.
Domestic abuse services are not optional extras; they are essential. They save lives, reduce harm and foster safer, stronger communities for all of us.
We urge the Green and Lib Dem administration to re-think their proposals.
24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247
This is an opinion piece by Emily Clarke, Labour councillor for Bedminster; and Lisa Durston, Labour councillor for Filwood
Main photo: Labour Party
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